Mount TBR Challenge 2023 discussion

Planning to read 75 books this year and I'm currently on my 47th book.

JANUARY

📖 The Devil Wears Scrubs by Freida McFadden ~282 pages 3.5⭐
January-30-2023

APRIL

📖 Olga Dies Dreaming by Xóchitl González ~349 pages 4.0⭐
April-17-2023
📖 Happily Married by Victoria Jenkins ~257 pages 4.0 ⭐
April-20-2023
📖 Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn ~573 pages 5.0 ⭐
April-27-2023

MAY

📖 Lying in the Deep by Diana Urban ~384 pages 4.0 ⭐
May-01-2023
📖 Again, but Better by Christine Riccio ~384 pages 3.5 ⭐
May-02-2023
📖 The Other Mrs. by Mary Kubica ~418 pages 3.5 ⭐
May-05-2023
📖 Only a Monster by Vanessa Len ~368 pages 4.5 ⭐
May-06-2023
📖 Pandora by Susan Stokes-Chapman ~408 pages 3.5 ⭐
May-11-2023
📖 Happy Place by Emily Henry ~400 pages 5.0 ⭐
May-14-2023
📖 Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros ~662 pages 5.0 ⭐
May-18-2023
📖 The Wedding Day by Sue Watson ~400 pages 3.5 ⭐
May-19-2023
📖 The Fine Print by Lauren Asher ~450 pages 4.5 ⭐
May-21-2023
📖 Sheets by Brenna Thummler ~239 pages 3.5 ⭐
May-21-2023
📖 Such a Quiet Place by Megan Miranda ~352 pages 3.5 ⭐
May-23-2023
📖 People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry ~382 pages 4.5 ⭐
May-26-2023
📖 Ward D by Freida McFadden ~288 pages 4.5⭐
May-27-2023

JUNE

📖 My Word Against His by Lauren North ~329 pages 4.5⭐
June-1-2023
📖 Delicates by Brenna Thummler ~320 pages 4.0⭐
June-2-2023
📖 The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood ~325 pages 4.0⭐
June-3-2023
📖 Yellowface by R.F. Kuang ~350 pages 4.5⭐
June-4-2023
📖 The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah ~464 pages 4.5⭐
June-6-2023
📖 The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi ~396 pages 3.5⭐
June-8-2023
📖 Paper Names by Susie Luo ~288 pages 3.5⭐
June-11-2023
📖 Falling by T.J. Newman ~304 pages 3.5⭐
June-12-2023
📖 The Dragon's Promise by Elizabeth Lim ~482 pages 3.5⭐
June-14-2023
📖 Counterfeit by Kirstin Chen ~320 pages 3.0⭐
June-17-2023
📖 Terms and Conditions by Lauren Asher ~494 pages 4.5⭐
June-18-2023
📖 The Awakening by Caroline Peckham ~436 pages 3.0⭐
June-19-2023
📖 Drowning by T.J. Newman ~304 pages 4.0⭐
June-20-2023

JULY

📖 The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune ~394 pages 4.0⭐
July-1-2023
📖 Burned by Magic by Jasmine Walt ~239 pages 2.5⭐
July-2-2023
📖 Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus ~400 pages 4.0⭐
July-5-2023
📖 Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston ~425 pages 4.0⭐
July-9-2023
📖 A Crown of Ivy and Glass by Claire Legrand ~560 pages 3.5⭐
July-13-2023
📖 Adelaide by Genevieve Wheeler ~304 pages 3.5⭐
July-15-2023
📖 Beware the Woman by Megan Abbott ~320 pages 2.5⭐
July-17-2023
📖 The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi ~289 pages 3.5⭐
July-21-2023
📖 Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto ~339 pages 4.0⭐
July-23-2023
📖 Sworn to Silence by Linda Castillo ~384 pages 4.0⭐
July-28-2023
📖 The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren ~416 pages 4.0⭐
July-29-2023
📖 Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune ~320 pages 4.0⭐
July-31-2023

43rd Book

Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
480 pages
Kindle Unlimited and Libby
August-1-2023
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Ace of Spades is a wild mystery thriller YA novel with an incredibly powerful message. Chiamaka, an elite head prefect, the perfect all A's student and Devon, senior prefect, who loves music were targeted at Nevius Academy. All is perfect until senior years when evrything fucked up. The plot was interesting kinda like Gossip girl or Pretty Little Liars with racism in a school setting.

I liked the writing style of the author. The anticipation at the end of each chapter it makes you wanna read more... I also likes the narrators it makes it more fun and engaging. 4/5

cw: Sexual assault, violence, white supremacy, homophobia, drugs, racism, classism, hate crimes

44th Book

Hang the Moon by Jeannette Walls
368 pages
Kindle Unlimited and Libby
August-2-2023
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Hang the Moon is a historical fiction and a coming of age novel. A story of a fiesty and fearless, terrified and damaged young woman named Sallie Kincaid. A girl who in young age had so much fights in her blood. It was well written novel though kinda slow at first but then I started to like the characters. How she fights for the one she loved. Truly remarkable. It has good narration yet come bit short with the story doesn't have a punch that lift the story. Still I enjoyed reading the story of a brave girl despite her dysfunctional family. 3/5

45th Book

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins
288 pages
Kindle Unlimited and Libby
August-4-2023
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Villa is an intriguing mystery crime novel of two childhood friends Emily, a writer and struggling as she is in the middle of divorce, and Chess, also a well known nonfiction writer. A get-away trip to Italy as suggested by Chess but it happens that the villa where they stayed at was a murder crime scene way back 1974. A dual timeline and two different murder which involves Villa Aestas and two writer from different timeline.

“If you want to receive the good things the universe has for you, Em, you can’t have ugly thoughts blocking the path. We have to let go of pain and resentment if we want the gifts we deserve.” - - Chess Chandler to Emily

"Sometimes we don’t really know we’ve won until we see the reflection of that win in the loser’s eyes."

"How is it that someone can bring out the very best and the very worst of you all at once?"

I liked the way the writer leaves clues but doesn't really tell what really happens till the end of the novel. I also liked how the author include some lines from the Mari's book and Lara's song lyrics which also gives hints. The ending felt a little rushed and wasn't quite what I expected at all. 3.5/5

46th Book

The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King
384 pages
Kindle Unlimited and Libby
August-6-2023
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Beeskeeper's Apprentice is a continuation of Sherlock Holmes adventures as a beeskeeper after he retired with Mary Sue Russell as her side kick as he comeback to taking in detective cases again. Sherlock was amazed as to how Mary Russell's observation skills and the way she thinks. It has the same plot as other Sherlock's book. I liked Mary's character, at young age and after a traumatic event she was able to see good on things despite everything. 3.5/5

47th Book

Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood
400 pages
Kindle Unlimited and Libby
August-10-2023
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Love, Theoretically is another STEM-y novel by Ali Hazelwood. The authors love equation and chemical reactions is superb in every books she made. This maybe the book I read from her that has too much science or probably I just don't like physics when I was at school lol But I love the plot, the characters and oh yes! the spiciness of this book is on a higher level than the others. Jack and Elsie!! And Adam and Olive's cameo makes me wanna read The Love Hypothesis again!! It was the first book where I started loving Ali Hazelwood's works. 4.5/5

48th Book

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik
336 pages
Kindle Unlimited and Libby
August-13-2023
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

A Deadly Education is a YA fantasy and dark academia with slow burn romance. This book follows, Galadriel known as "El" as she started her adventure in scholomance as she fights malefecaria, monsters that appear everywhere in the school. She was an outcast before she met Orion Lake, the school's hero. This book is like Harry Potter's Hogwarts in which students are taught about magic. Survival of the strongest students before graduation.

I love the world building of this book and the monster description are quite horrifying indeed. 4.5/5

49th Book

Pray for Silence by Linda Castillo
304 pages
Kindle Unlimited and Libby
August-14-2023
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Another murder crime got solved!

Pray for Silence is a mystery crime novel that follows Kate Burkholder, Mill Painter's Chief of Police as she solved another interesting case. A family of 7 amish members with no lead at first. I liked most when Kate and Tomasetti ID the killer like so interesting how they came up to that conclusion. Very clever indeed. I also liked how each story relate to what happens to her. It helps more to character build up.

50th Book

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
448 pages
Kindle Unlimited and Libby
August-18-2023
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

My third book by Kristin Hannah and loved all of it. Each book is different but the emotion it bought to the reader is superb.

The Great Alone is a historical fiction novel in which follows the story of Allbright family as they finds their home in Alaska, the great alone. Another story of strong women who fights for themselves. Leni, the daughter of a man with nightmares and traumatic past of war, Ernt and the beloved wife, Cora. Leni found her best friend and love of her life Matthew, but life was cruel and they all experienced things the hard way made by wrong choices and bad decisions.

I loved the writing style of the author, and her amazing character build up. It will totally teleport you in great depression years in which life is hard not only for women but to everyone. What a Rollercoaster ride of emotion this book is. 5/5

51st Book

House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland
292 pages 4.0⭐
August-19-2023
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

House of Hollow is not what I expected it to be but I enjoyed the way it was beautifully written. The story is about the three sisters, Grey, Vivi and Iris who disappeared somewhere without a trace and came back stranged and different from what their parents were saying after a month on the same place where they disappeared.

House of Hollow is a strange, yet sometimes touching, story. It felt like a dark twist on a fairy tale while simultaneously being a heartwarming story about sisters. The plot is so good, and it doesn’t take forever to get started like in some mysteries – weird things start happening immediately. Totally weird in a good way. 4/5

52nd Book

The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik
388 pages 4.0⭐
August-23-2023
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Last Graduate. This just get better and better. That ending tho! I can't wait to get my hands on the third book. The impressive world building, action packed, heart pounding adventures, sarcastic , balanced pace, extremely witty tone of El and her evolving character by learning how to control her power and her complicated love story with Orion.

Is it just me or sometimes El's monologue came off or something. But despite everything I totally enjoyed this series so far. Third book!! 4.5/5

53rd Book

The Legacies by Jessica Goodman
336 pages 4.0⭐
August-24-2023
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Legacies is a mysterious thriller teen drama. A dual timeline and a multiple povs. It follows a high society club that is full of secrets and mystery with a glimpse of pretty little liar and gossip girl. The book focuses on the nomination of students to the said club, and how it affects their future careers. It also involves relationships that were tear apart by secrets. That all lead to a mysterious death.

I liked how diverse the characters are, and even though they are not main they are still essential to the story. The plot is great but I wish the future timeline was a bit more detailed not to the point where there are no excitement but glimpses of their interviews like that. But it was a great and fun read overall. 4/5

54th Book

Archer's Voice by Mia Sheridan
345 pages 5⭐
August-26-2023
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Archer's Voice is a beautiful story of two people with heartbreaking past met at lakeside town of Pelion, Maine like fate. A story of Archer, with a traumatic past in where both parents died while leaving the town in an accident which lead him to be mute and Bree, with a past which she saw how her father got shot and was almost raped. Both were destroyed by past and met each other to find their self and learn to rebuild their trust again. This book is full of emotion and love (steamy!! Oh the spiciness on each chapters).

I liked that it was dual timeline in which Archer's past was revealed. Beautifully written and page turner read. Glad it ends happily and both finding the best version of thier selves. Will definetely recommend!! 5/5

August

Total books: 54/50
Total pages: 20,167

📖 Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé ~480 pages 4.0⭐
August-1-2023
📖 Hang the Moon by Jeannette Walls ~368 pages 3.0⭐
August-2-2023
📖 The Villa by Rachel Hawkins ~288 pages 3.5⭐
August-4-2023
📖 The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King ~384 pages 3.5⭐
August-6-2023
📖 Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood ~400 pages 4.5⭐
August-10-2023
📖 A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik ~336 pages 4.5⭐
August-13-2023
📖 Pray for Silence by Linda Castillo ~304 pages 4.0⭐
August-14-2023
📖 The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah ~448 pages 5.0⭐
August-18-2023
📖 House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland ~292 pages 4.0⭐
August-19-2023
📖 The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik ~388 pages 4.0⭐
August-23-2023
📖 The Legacies by Jessica Goodman ~336 pages 4.0⭐
August-24-2023
📖 Archer's Voice by Mia Sheridan ~345 pages 5⭐
August-26-2023

Total pages read: 20,167 (15,798 + 4,369 pages)
Finished Books: 12

55th Book

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
363 pages 4.5⭐
September-1-2023
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Thursday Murder Club is an unexpectedly good cozy mystery read. A group of older people in a peaceful retirement village who meets up every thursday to investigate unsolved murder case. This book is brilliantly written, funny, clever, and entertaining. I love the idea of journaling the events also how mysterious each characters are. It's nice thing to have friends as you grow older but it was fun to be solving murder together and how they used their influences and connections for informations. The backstory of the characters are also great.

I also like to emphasize how good the audio is, it just give the cozy vibe and all. It really add something in reading the book. Will definetely recommend this book! And I can't wait to read the next book. 4.5/5

56th Book

Tales from the Café by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
145 pages 5⭐
September-1-2023
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Tales from the cafe is a magical time travel book full of emotions. Just as good as the first one. Cried happy tears with this book. And the ending...how come kaname just disappeared? and replaced with a gentleman. I really need to read the third book right away. The author really writes amazingly. Another four well written stories that not only touches heart but a person's soul. A great plot and amazing characters (just a bit confusing at times). I like how funny Miki is. I really enjoyed reading this what a good read it is. Even with the same concept as the first book it still hit the spot. 5/5

57th Book

Breaking Silence by Linda Castillo
302 pages 4.5⭐
September-1-2023
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Breaking Silence is the third book of Kate Burkholder Series. And so far this had been the most twisty with an amazing ending in all the books I read of her. That was unexpectedly good. In the town of Painters Mill, three murder in an amish family leaving 4 parentless young children. Kate Burkholder was quite busy solving the case together with Tomasetti, also with the increasing hate crime against the Amish community, they didn't expect that the suspect was right in front of their noses. What a read! Linda Castillo is one magnificent author.

I like how Kate had her soft spot as well as how she can let people spill everything in an interview. This makes me want to read more detective books. Loved this one. 4.5/5

Doing great through September--hope you got more good reading in!